§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will compare (a) the proportion of first-class mail which is delivered the day after posting and (b) the cost in real terms of a first-class stamp, in 1974 and 1984.
§ Mr. TrippierIn 1973–74 letter quality of service was measured on the basis of a sample of deliveries between Tuesdays and Saturdays. Against a target of 93 per cent.144W of first-class mail to be delivered on the first working day following collection actual performance was 88.8 per cent. The basis of measurement has now moved to Mondays to Saturdays and the target has been reduced to 90 per cent. because of the inclusion of the Monday figure, in view of the fact that Monday deliveries include traffic received too late for the single delivery on Saturday. This reduction in target of 3 per cent. represents no reduction in the standard of service provided for.
Between April 1983 and February 1984 87.5 per cent. of first-class letters were delivered on the first working day after collection, on a Monday to Saturday basis. On a Tuesday to Saturday basis, the equivalent figure would be 89.9 per cent.
The price of a first-class stamp was increased to 4½p in June 1974. On the basis of the increase in RPI from June 1974 this price equates to 14.24p as at February 1984. This compares with the current first-class tariff of 16p.